Route a call to its department
Find out what the caller needs, pick the department that fits and transfer them through the phone system.
Career profile
Switchboard Operator
Switchboard operators connect callers to the right person and take clear messages for anyone unavailable.
Someone calls knowing what they need but not which department handles it. An operator listens, works out where the call belongs and sends it there.
A day in the life
Take down a callback message
Type the request and contact details, reading back unclear names or numbers before passing it on.
Check the on-call schedule
At a hospital desk, use the on-call schedule to reach whichever clinician or response team is covering.
Page the response team urgently
In certain hospital roles, an alarm can interrupt calls and you page responders urgently while tracking emergency communication.
Update a changed extension
When someone's extension changes, edit their phone directory entry so later callers reach the right desk.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025–2035
$38,630 median
United States · 2025
26% projected decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingA high school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training are typical.
Pay
$38,630 medianAbout $18.57 an hour nationally in 2025, including answering-service operators.
Outlook
26% projected declineEmployment is projected to shrink during 2025–2035, with about 3,100 openings annually.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like helping someone explain what they need.
- You notice small errors in names and numbers.
- You can stay attentive through repeated short conversations.
Things to weigh
- Some callers are angry, and you still need to keep the conversation useful.
- Much of the day can involve sitting and repeating similar tasks.
- Hospital schedules can include evenings and weekends.
Where AI may help
Some answering services offer artificial intelligence (AI) agents that answer calls, alongside systems that log calls and deliver messages.
What people still lead
Human agents clarify requests, check caller details, and handle conversations that need careful judgment.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine answering moves to software—and how many difficult calls remain with people—will vary as employers change their services.
Pay in context
Earnings
These national figures cover switchboard operators, including answering-service workers.
The national midpoint
The 2025 median was $38,630 a year, or $18.57 an hour. Half earned more and half less; this is not a starting-pay promise.
The national spread
In May 2025, the 10th-percentile annual wage was $29,990 and the 90th-percentile wage was $59,470. These are wage percentiles, not starting and senior salaries.
Workplace makes a difference
In May 2023, average hourly pay was $19.53 in general medical and surgical hospitals and $16.86 in business support services. These historical industry averages are not current offers or a guaranteed raise from changing settings.
A shrinking occupation still has openings
Employment is projected to fall 26% from 2025 to 2035. About 3,100 openings per year are projected as workers leave the occupation, despite the overall decline.
Getting started
Learn inside an answering service
- What the route involves
- Apply for positions offering operator training. After hiring, learn the call software and rehearse client conversations with trainers.
- What it can lead to
- Once you meet the service’s call-handling standards, begin answering live client calls.
Bring customer-service experience
- What the route involves
- Build experience helping customers or handling calls, alongside a high school diploma.
- What it can lead to
- That background can meet the experience requirement for hospital switchboard positions that ask for prior customer-service or telephone work.
- What to check
- Hospital emergency communications follow the hospital’s procedures and call-center management.
A college degree is not the typical entry requirement. Look closely at whether a job teaches new operators or asks for related experience.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Make each handoff reliable
Review calls with a trainer and use feedback to improve greetings, caller verification, and messages.
Handle more kinds of calls
Learn new clients’ vocabulary and escalation rules so you can take more demanding conversations.
Move toward supervision
A possible next step is switchboard supervisor: train operators, assign work, and review performance. You would take responsibility for how other operators work as well as your own calls.
Where you can work
Hospital communications desk
Routine calls share the desk with alarms and urgent pages. You work across clinical departments, security, and engineering, so interruptions can change your priorities quickly.
- Indoors
- Office
- Shift work
- Safety-sensitive
Answering service
You answer for several businesses. Each client has its own greeting and rules for sending messages or reaching someone urgently, so you switch between different instructions throughout the day.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a fictional directory with four departments. Have a friend read five caller requests, including one unclear request and one for an unavailable person. Choose where each call goes and write any callback message. Compare notes: did you enjoy clarifying requests while keeping names and numbers accurate?
Stay safe: Use invented names and numbers; do not place real calls.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 43-2011.00 — Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 — 43-2011. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Dexcomm. Customer Service Representative Training. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Dexcomm. 24/7 Live Answering Services. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Memorial Health. Switchboard Operator — Decatur, Illinois, 2026-33805. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- New Mexico State Personnel Office. Switchboard Operator, Including Answering Service Supervisor — Classification Description. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national estimates. Accessed 2026-09-29.